Port Alberni Mayor Mike Ruttan expressed disappointment at the decision to reject a second route. He also urged caution when proceeding with upgrades at Cathedral Grove.

“That needs to be done extremely sensitively because those trees are public property,” he said. “It’s iconic, never to be replaced, and we have to make sure that we don’t endanger any of the trees that are there in order to accommodate the people that want to visit.”

B.C. NDPMLA Scott Fraser, who represents the area, said the project has been heavily studied and the ministry claims that its traffic numbers don’t warrant a new route at present.

“It’s a big expense and I think more than the capital cost, the ministry is concerned about how will it maintain two highways to a standard that’s acceptable,” he said.

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